TVCatchup hires 24/7 for ad push

The startup venture, which enables people to record shows from 'traditional' broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Virgin Media and Sky, has set 24/7 Real Media goals to sell banner ads, pre-roll video ads and text advertising, ahead of the full launch of the service in January.

TVCatchup has been in a test phase since the start of December and intends to launch with a range of live ad campaigns on 1 January.

Adam Smith, one of the website's founders, has set a target of attracting 100,000 users a day by the end of next year.

TVCatchup also plans to launch a mobile version of the site in Q2 2008.

TVCatchup is one of a range of TV services set for launch in 2008. The BBC, Channel 4 and ITV are teaming to launch a joint venture on-demand service, codenamed Kangaroo, while News Corp and NBC Universal are likely expand the availability of Hulu.com next year.